Nagpur: An international human trafficking network, allegedly operated from Nagpur by kingpin Palash Bipin Choudhary, has come under renewed scrutiny after two recent arrests by Bhopal Special Task Force (STF), who are tracking down the on-the-run accused with Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) unit of Nagpur.Palash, who allegedly helped more than 250 Bangladeshi nationals infiltrate into India, bag fake Indian documents and settle down in different cities. Sources stated Palash sneaked out of Nagpur in September, when Bhopal STF had come to the city searching for him and another trafficking suspect, Joyson Choudhury. Palash’s location was traced to West Bengal and then Tripura and investigators believe he may have crossed the porous border into Bangladesh.Police suspect Palash used Nagpur as a base, while maintaining contacts in Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), West Bengal, Telangana (Hyderabad) and Bengaluru (Karnataka).Sources said he was arrested by Nagpur ATS in 2023 after a probe uncovered an alleged racket involving illegal immigration and fraudulent passports.The latest developments followed the arrest of two men in Bhopal who were allegedly attempting to obtain fake Indian passports. During questioning, the two reportedly named Palash as the mastermind, who facilitated their entry into India through the porous Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura before bringing them to Bhopal.Palash allegedly exploited the cover of a Buddhist monastic life to help some Bangladeshi nationals avoid suspicion. He’s suspected of arranging their movement through the Northeast and taking some to Bihar, where they allegedly underwent training to pose as monks before being relocated to Nagpur and other cities.Sources claimed that around 50 Bangladeshi nationals were brought to Nagpur under this arrangement. Investigators are also examining allegations that Palash charged up to Rs 2 lakh per person for facilitating illegal entry, accommodation and procurement of Indian IDs.The document-forging process involved securing rented accommodation, using rent agreements and utility bills as address proof, and subsequently obtaining Aadhaar cards, bank accounts, PAN cards and passports.Investigators suspect these documents were used to establish false Indian identities. Sources further claimed the network may have facilitated the preparation of at least 250 fraudulent Indian passports. The alleged beneficiaries were subsequently moved to different parts of India, with some reportedly travelling abroad using their new identities. Two illegal immigrants were caught at Hyderabad airport too.In his statement, Palash allegedly admitted to entering India illegally from Bangladesh in 2012 and helping other acquaintances obtain Indian documents.“Palash also described using local contacts and addresses to facilitate passport applications,” said an official. Investigators are now examining the network’s links across multiple states, the extent of the passport fraud and role of other suspected facilitators.
